Is Bpd A Mental Illness?

[messygirl]

This is my personal viewpoint on the debate about bpd. I know that what I live with every day of my life is a serious mental ilness. People who are mentally well do not burn their breasts with a lighter or have no natural instinct for survival like every other species on the planet (the feeling of wanting to die feels more natural to me than wanting to live). So whether whatever it is that I suffer from has a stupid name or not, whether bpd even exists or not, whether bpd does exist but isnt considered a mental illness shouldnt be the relevant point for any of us. Personally I KNOW I have mental illness, I have felt this way since my memories go back to a toddler. You all probably know if you have mental illness too, it is not the name or label that other human beings have given us that defines us. Sometimes its hard for the professionals to even realise that sometimes, maybe personal individual suffering may not have a name! They simply give it a name when they see repeated common traits in lots of different people. But individuals usually have a hell of a lot more on top of what is listed in the criteria, I know I have issues that other borderlines cant relate to.

The real problem is when we ARE diagnosed with something, and then have to face the agony of other specialists being cruel to us and telling us our 'illness' doesnt exist, as theyve already decided to discriminate against us. Thats when the pain really sets in, and youre left to struggle with which doctor you should trust and who knows better than the next person. It breaks my heart some of the things Ive read, like peaches and paine warrior - what you peeps said about the way you were treated in hospital, thats horrible! I feel for you so much, Ive felt similar myself when it comes to reactions from the pro's. That sort of thing is the time when it really questions whether having the label helps or hinders you. Really wish you all best of luck xxxxx

and hugs(((((((((peaches))))))) we're here for you xxx

[fredy]

This is my personal viewpoint on the debate about bpd. I know that what I live with every day of my life is a serious mental ilness. People who are mentally well do not burn their breasts with a lighter or have no natural instinct for survival like every other species on the planet (the feeling of wanting to die feels more natural to me than wanting to live). So whether whatever it is that I suffer from has a stupid name or not, whether bpd even exists or not, whether bpd does exist but isnt considered a mental illness shouldnt be the relevant point for any of us. Personally I KNOW I have mental illness, I have felt this way since my memories go back to a toddler. You all probably know if you have mental illness too, it is not the name or label that other human beings have given us that defines us. Sometimes its hard for the professionals to even realise that sometimes, maybe personal individual suffering may not have a name! They simply give it a name when they see repeated common traits in lots of different people. But individuals usually have a hell of a lot more on top of what is listed in the criteria, I know I have issues that other borderlines cant relate to.

The real problem is when we ARE diagnosed with something, and then have to face the agony of other specialists being cruel to us and telling us our 'illness' doesnt exist, as theyve already decided to discriminate against us. Thats when the pain really sets in, and youre left to struggle with which doctor you should trust and who knows better than the next person. It breaks my heart some of the things Ive read, like peaches and paine warrior - what you peeps said about the way you were treated in hospital, thats horrible! I feel for you so much, Ive felt similar myself when it comes to reactions from the pro's. That sort of thing is the time when it really questions whether having the label helps or hinders you. Really wish you all best of luck xxxxx

and hugs(((((((((peaches))))))) we're here for you xxx

There are some very wise words there

[mazer34]

I seen my post natel depression councellor today and she says BPD is just a diagnoses and not an illness ? my mood swings,feeling suicidal etc are just me and not to be blamed on my diagnoses as she keeps calling it, she kept telling me there is nothing wrong with me and rubbished me when I say I have BPD.She is a CPN by nature and volunteer trained councellor and makes me feel shit whn I mention the B word.and I shouldnt be taking medication for an illness I dont have as the meds will damage my liver and vital organs as I dont need them.Im going mental after seeing her,what if there is nothing wrong with me after all ?I just feel so ANGRY at her dismissing me all the time,like Im talking to a wall.

[arwentheelfqueen]

My psychiatrist doesn't consider BPD a mental illness because it is not biological like schizophrenia, but he considers it a very serious disorder nonetheless. I don't really understand why something in which you are clearly unwell and it isn't physical does not classify as a mental illness, it seems illogical to me. My psych calls BPD an emotional disorder or an emotional disturbance. The thing is that he also said that neural connections are routed differently for people with BPD. So because it is a disease that you develop and that you are not born with, it is not considered an illness? Many physical diseases are developed later. You can develop heart disease from poor life habits for example. So why isn't BPD an illness brought about by abusive backgrounds? My psych treats me seriously though, and I never get the feeling as though he doesn't respect the harm that this disorder does to my functioning or that he doesn't respect the suffering I experience, so it's not a big deal to me how he labels BPD.

That's my two cents.

arwen

[Silkworm]

SW! would be happy to add link but not sure how to! Just google either and you can find them usualy in a PDF File!

Regards Stuart-G

oke doke..thanks

Sw

[TonyB]

Here's a link to a really silly video of a sock puppet reading from the DSM about BPD symptoms. it's good for a laugh and also might clear up what BPD actually is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBrYLMgrmbE

Paine.

Thanks for that paine, ive read the symptoms before, didnt understand them, maybe because i dont have any degree's. Funny tho.

[ravenna]

Hi

Just seems to be your luck then whether your people recognize it as an illness or not. My psychiatric centre don't see it as a serious mental illness. In fact, to prove the point, 2 people I know of who have a diagnosis of borderline PD got sent down to prison for arson as opposed to being able to plea insanity and get treatment in a psychiatric hospital. I've heard of someone else in the country too who has gone down for arson and they have a diagnosis of borderline PD. Its coz its still seen as not being a mental illness, therefore the person "deserves" prison and not hospital.

From what I understand of criminal law(being a sociology/criminology major) and this is american law which may be different of course. For the people that you talked about to be put into a hospital setting instead of being charged and sent to prison for arson. they'd have to prove that they didnt know right from wrong.. that they couldnt understand that burning a building or whatever was against the law and wrong. Just having a dx of mental illness doesnt automaticly make for an insanity plea. I think that most ppl with a bpd dx can understand right from wrong and how breaking laws are wrong.... but yeah just my opinion.

[KavanIce]

arwentheelfqueen I understand your experience. I have noted before that anything debilitating leading to tragedy where one suffers unduly is an illness. When you are invalidated its as if one is saying you are ruining your life for the fun of it. Its lack of knowledge on their part and it may take some time before mh practitioners catch up with the realities of the condition.